Alphabet Soup: Helping Hands
by Windfighter
Summary: Emil has an appointment with a shrink and Lalli will make sure he gets there.


One more story for the alphabet soup-challenge, and this one is kind of a continue to the earlier story "Just for", but I think this one is clear enough by its own. Hopefully. They're both probably behaving a little OOC but traumatic experiences and friendship does that to people!

 **Warnings:** uh... hm... err... Implied abuse? Also a pretty naked Emil oops.

* * *

"I don't want to."

Emil took a firmer grip around the blanket and Lalli made a new attempt to pull it off.

"You can't force me."

"Can too."

"I'm too heavy for you."

Lalli yanked at the blanket and it slid of Emil, revealing his thin and bruised body.

"Before you stopped eating, yes."

Lalli pulled Emil into a sitting position and put the clothes he had picked out for him in his lap. Emil stared at them and Lalli crossed his arms over his chest.

"I'm not dressing you."

"I can't go there naked so there."

Lalli leaned closer, glared into Emil's eyes.

"I'll drag you there naked if I have to."

Emil closed his eyes, his body tensed up and Lalli took a step back, sat down on the table next to the couch and waited. After a minute Emil carefully opened an eye and glanced at him.

"I'm sorry", Lalli whispered.

"Please don't make me."

Emil's voice was quiet, scared, begging. Lalli swallowed.

"Just paying you back."

He tried to make his voice light-hearted, but he could hear the worry slip through.

"Remember when we got back?"

"I just need time."

"You've been living on my couch for a week now. Emil, you need to..."

"I know", Emil interrupted. "I know, I just... I want... I need..."

Lalli was quiet, looked away. Tears escaped from Emil's eyes and ran down his cheeks.

"I don't want to relive it.

"You do that every night already", Lalli whispered. "Every day. Every time I..."

Lalli leaned closer, lifted a hand to pull his fingers through Emil's haid and Emil pulled away, closed his eyes and Lalli let his hand fall again. Emil placed his hand over the wound on his stomach, let it trace the bruises on his chest before placing it over his shoulder, the one that had been pulled out of its socket but slowly was getting less painful.

"What if..." Emil's body shook. "What if he's still out there?"

He looked up, looked at Lalli with eyes full of tears, and Lalli had to look away.

"I can't, Lalli. I can't do it."

"You have to."

"Not even for you. I'm sorry, I just..."

Emil turned his gaze down again and Lalli looked at him, looked at the watch. Ten. The appointment was at eleven, there was still enough time to get there. He looked at Emil again and let out a sigh.

"Okay", he said.

Emil stopped breathing, stopped moving and Lalli studied him, took in the sights of the bruises he could have prevented if he had just acted a little earlier.

"Okay", Lalli repeated. "I'll cancel the appointment. On two conditions."

Emil still didn't breathe and Lalli wondered for a second what was going through the other's mind.

"One: You get out of the couch and take a shower. Two: You eat breakfast with me."

Emil's hands clenched the clothes, his eyes glanced at the clock then quickly returned to his lap. One minute. Two minutes. Lalli started considering dressing Emil. Three minutes. Emil swallowed, glanced towards Lalli's legs.

"You've already had breakfast."

"I'll have a second breakfast."

Emil fell quiet again. After another minute he nodded. Lalli got up from the table.

"I'll call and tell them you can't make it today. You _have to_ go to the next one though, okay?"

It took a few seconds, then Emil nodded. His cheeks had gotten slightly pale and Lalli tilted his head.

"Need me to fetch a bucket?"

"I don't... want to go there at all."

"I know", Lalli sat down again. "But remember when we got back? From Denmark? You made me see her."

"Is this revenge?"

"She helped me. And then you helped me."

"And then I left."

"It doesn't matter now."

"Will you leave?"

Lalli moved and sat down on the armrest Emil was leaning against. Emil tensed up and Lalli hesitated a second before placing a hand on Emil's undamaged shoulder.

"Only if you want me to."

"Stay."

"I will. Just need to call her, tell her you'll come next week instead. She _will_ help you. And I'll help you too."

"Thanks."

Lalli got up again.

"Remember the conditions."

Emil nodded, glanced down at his swollen and bandaged knee and blushed.

"I... may need help getting to the shower."

Lalli smiled, wrapped an arm around Emil and helped him up. Emil placed his arm over Lalli's shoulders.

"I'm not too heavy?"

"Light as a feather. And Emil..."

Lalli hesitated slightly, took a deep breath.

"It's tough right now, but I **know** we'll come out of this happier than we were coming in."

Emil chuckled.

"Ystävät", he said.

"Vänner", Lalli answered

* * *

Friends!


End file.
